There are few people luckier than those who get to pursue their passion and make a living for themselves while doing so. As an avid reader, writer, and teacher, Professor Alene Terzian has combined the best of her personal and professional hobbies into one successful career for herself as the Chair of the English Department here at COC. After obtaining her Bachelors of English at CSUN and her Masters of Fine Arts at Cal State Chico, later on, Terzian realized that she was born to teach — and lucky for her, her love of creative writing would mesh perfectly into her desire for sharing her knowledge with others. Terzian is currently working towards her E.D.D. at Arizona State University, which only stands as a testament to her unceasing desire to develop her skills as an educator to the fullest extent. In terms of her time here at COC, she joined the full-time faculty 18 years ago in 2002, but even before that, she was an adjunct professor at the college for a few years and split her time between COC and Moorpark.

As the current Chair of the English Department, Terzian has been allowed to involve herself in some of the significant changes that been taking place — a feat that she finds exciting and fulfilling at the same time. "I enjoy leading a department and working with others to figure out what's best," she says. At the moment, she teaches English 122, also known as Literary Magazine Production. Over the years, however, she's quite literally taught across the board -- before she was elected department chair, she taught almost every single class that the English department has ever had. Terzian cites her relationship with her students as the most important and rewarding aspect of her profession. "I want my students to challenge themselves and think outside of the constructs of what art is," she says. "I teach them not to be sheep and to think for themselves."

Hailing from Lebanon, Terzian shares her desire to one day become an expert in the Arabic language, though her interests branch out far further than her roots. At home, she spends time with her daughter and her husband, whom she met at a poker match -- an interesting love story! Alongside her affection for family time is her interest in reading, writing, and the arts as a whole. Terzian meets with a poetry workshop monthly as a way of extending her love of literature and creative writing even further than the reach of COC. To add even more uniqueness to this professor, she cites a bucket list goal of hers as traveling to Giraffe’s Manor in Kenya, a hotel that houses human and giraffe guests alike. Terzian's love for writing has blended seamlessly into her dedication to teaching. After nearly 20 years as a professor here at COC, the journey for her only grows more enjoyable as time passes.

“I’ve always had a passion for creative writing, and it’s wonderful that I get to teach what I love,” she says.